Devils owner apologizes for landing helicopter on field, canceling youth soccer game
New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris apologized for landing his helicopter in the middle of a prep school field in Newark, New Jersey, on Sunday, forcing the cancellation of two youth soccer games.
"I sincerely apologize to the kids and their coaches and families for the cancellation of their soccer game in Newark on Sunday night," Harris, who also owns the Philadelphia 76ers, said Wednesday in a statement. "As a dad who has spent hundreds of hours watching my kids play sports, I can understand the frustration, and for that, I'm truly sorry."
The helicopter was at the school Sunday night to pick up Harris after a Devils game at the Prudential Center that went into overtime, but left youth soccer teams without a field to play on.
Here's how one parent recounted the event, as reported by Deadspin:
"My son’s U13 youth soccer team was supposed to play a game at 7:30 last night (Sunday, November 8th) on the field at Benedict’s Prep in Newark. As the two teams of U13 players from the STA 02 NPL and Cedar Stars Pre-Academy team got ready to take the field, a helicopter dropped down from the sky and landed right in the middle of the field. A security detail emerged from the helicopter and informed the boys and their coaches that NJ Jersey Devils owner, Josh Harris, had instructed them to land on the field and wait for him to return from the Prudential Center where the Devils were playing. The boys and their families waited in the cold until finally it became clear that Harris was running late and no one knew when he might return to pick up his ride. Eventually, the coaches decided to call the boys’ game and everyone went home disappointed, frustrated and annoyed. I am not sure when or if Harris ever showed up to remove his helicopter from the field, but I hope that he had a great night. There are a number of 12 year olds and youth soccer fans who did not — because of Harris’s selfish behavior."
Harris' delay could have been a result of the hockey game, which saw New Jersey go the extra mile en route to posting a 4-3 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
It's doubtful that either the 12-year-old soccer players or their parents celebrated the Devils' success.
Officials at Saint Benedict's prep school, which allows Harris and others to use its field, say an apparent scheduling error was to blame.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
